Where There’s Smoke… There’s Non-Hire.

(Photo Credit: MSNBC)

http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/03/18728224-smoking-employees-cost-6000-a-year-more-study-finds?lite

Somewhat of a veer in terms of job prep, let’s talk about personal choices / factors and their relation to help/hurt-ing of landing a job in your job market.

Interesting enough, let’s talk about… smoking.

Are you a smoker? You already know that this could not only damage your health, but did you know that NOW, it could hurt your chance at landing that dream job?

In recent findings and studies, it’s been assessed that the average smoking employee costs their company nearly upwards of SIX thousand dollars a year more than the employee who doesn’t smoke. This issue has become such an issue with a shoddy economy and heightened self-buying insurance through companies that the risk of hiring a smoker has become too much to bear.

This of course, brings a myriad of questions of personal expressionism and rites, but at the same time, one must question… in the employers’ shoes, would THEY hire a smoker.

One of the most stand out pieces of this article states that employers are now (grimly):

“taken into account any savings that might come because smokers tend to die younger than non-smokers” (Fox). 

I find this article interesting, because one doesn’t particularly expect to be asked many personal questions among the realms of “do you smoke?” in an interview. Maybe expecting a drug test after hire, but something as seemingly simple as smoking could come as a shock. In my experience, I’ve never been asked such a thing, but my co-worker has. And in being honest, you very well may have hurt your chance at landing a job.

If we break it down into simple terms from the eyes of the employer, let’s say you (the employee) are a smoker, working at a company for ten dollars an hour, for the sake of simplicity.

You work seven hours a day.

Therefore, each day you’re making seventy dollars.

If you take a ten minute smoke break each hour, you’re taking over an hour of your day PAID to smoke.

At the end of the day, the company is essentially paying you ten dollars to smoke.

At the end of the week, the company is essentially paying you fifty dollars to smoke.

At the end of the year, you’re getting paid TWENTY SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS to walk away and have a smoke break. Then, with the health complications that often hit smokers, we’re not even taking into account insurance and time off that come in to play.

We can see how that’s a bit unappealing in the eyes of the employer. Now, this isn’t a plea to get you to stop smoking… you already know its effects. BUT, this is a plea to keep in mind that sometimes, detrimental personal choices could truly hurt your likeliness of landing a job in this difficult market.

She’s/He’s Got the Look

There’s no denying that looks are everything. It’s sad, but it’s true. This doesn’t differ when it comes to landing the job, either. Here’s a quick few charts reviewing the do’s and don’ts of interview visuals:

I present to you – Landing a Job, in Style! (A Comprehensive, Basic Guide) (For women… sorry men!)

Shoes:

Let’s talk shoes. Unless you’re going to be trying to get hired as a PE teacher, you probably shouldn’t be wearing any sort of sneaker / running shoe (and if we’re being honest, even if you’re trying to get a PE teacher job, just don’t do it). Sneakers are for walking your dog or running errands on the weekends. They’re not particularly flattering in ANY outfit you’re wearing to an interview. Additionlly, shy away from flip flops and running shoes. Beach and work attire are not winning anyone over in an interview.

Flats, heels, and sandals for women are totally acceptable. They show class, dressiness, which likely is going to translating into whatever you’re accompanying with the shoes. Sandals and heels work perfectly with the slacks or skirt you’re wearing, and are a little more fun than flats. Flats also work, as long as they are in good shape and are not your “daily flats” that you wear every day, and are completely blown out.

*For men, dress shoes are a perfect fit. Even a fancier, clean pair of Merrills may do just the trick as well, provides they match the pants and shirt that are being worn.

Clothing:

 

There’s really no better alternative than the business suit. Whether slacks or a skirt, they show off a more professional look than can be conveyed with alternate clothing. If this isn’t available to you, try a pair of sleek black pants, and a nice blouse. The same applies to men in this case, either a nice business suit, or a good dress pants / shirt combo.

 

A few no-no’s include, but are not limited to : Denim of any sort, (except a jean jacket, depending on what is thrown underneath it, shorts of ANY kind, clothing that is stained / worn, older sweatshirts, cardigans that seem out of style… such as this cardigan that looks like it’s grandmas from 1972. Additionally, when it comes to accessories, shy away from anything gaudy, gang-affiliated, or hats. Remember, in this case, LESS is MORE!

Overall, the clothing you wear isn’t going to land you the job. What’s going to land you the job is YOU: Your qualifications, your personality, how well you mesh with the feeling of the interviewer or the company. The outfit is just the accessory that will help base a little more insight as to who you are. Some helpful tips:

**Try Goodwill: Goodwill will likely have a suit or something for you to wear for a discount price, especially if you’re low on money and not able to go out and buy a brand new suit. There is nothing wrong with secondhand, and it’s frugal, too!

**Friends: Don’t be afraid to borrow from your friends, and don’t be afraid to ask of their opinion. They might find a problem you didn’t / weren’t aware of.

**Check the sales for the basics. Stores ranging from Sears to J.Crew know that the basics are essential to the wardrobe, and they often go on sale. Don’t be afraid to spend a little more on a pair of black heels, or work slacks, especially if they’re going to have a long lifespan with working.

Good luck, look sharp!!!

Money Talks…

As the saying says, has said, and will always say… money talks. 9/10 times you’re not in a job interview because you’re bored… you’re there because you’re passionate and you need the money! Assuming discussion of pay in some form has already come up somewhere within the experience thus far, you may have seen any one of these:

1. A base rate of pay – example, $x.xx per hour, x hours per week

2. A basic monthly salary – example, $XK per month

But, assuming that none of these were presented to you pre-inverview, you’re probably familiar with this statement:

3. Compensation: commensurate with experience.

If you’re hit with one of these, you’re most likely going to be expected to, in a way, make your own salary requirements. What this basic statement is attempting to assess is how your experience (and salary) PRIOR to this job will funnel into your salary for this job.

First, it is your job to understand what is reasonable and not reasonable in regards to salary for this job. The best way to start, would be to use the internet to find basic salaries for this job at different levels of experience. What is the marginal entry-level pay for this? Mid? Top?

Second, check out growth charts. Is this a new industry? Old? How has the need for this either increased or decreased over the last few years. This would be a good place to make your decision as to what to ask. Is the number you have in mind more specific to salary of the sale position from five years ago, or is it more corresponding to now?

Say, for instance, you have landed an interview doing pharmacology work. What is the entry level rate of pay? Using the internet, we find this:

Interesting results. It seems that the  salary for a pharmacy tech is a pretty mixed bag, but within the low to mid 30’s. Assuming this chart is up to date  (a very essential thing to check), it would be good to ask for a salary within the area of the low 30’s, assuming again, that you have no job experience, but only educational experience.

Next, check out what the job in your area makes. Here, we see that the pharmacy tech in CA is making somewhere around 32 on average, per year, which is on the higher end of the scale for the job, among other states.

Another important aspect is to not high or low-ball yourself. If your job is averaging salaries in the 30’s such as this one, for example, don’t ask for 38 with no experience. Additionally, while it might increase your likeliness of landing the job, don’t suggest 25, either. Make sure the workload is proportional to the number.

With this job comes a myriad of responsibilities, some you might not even know yet. Don’t forget to ask questions before you throw out a number! Well educated assessments make for good job skills!